Reference News Network reported on January 20. According to a report on the Hong Kong Asia Times website on January 17, Japan and the United Kingdom have announced plans to cooperate in the development of engines for the sixth-generation fighter jet project.

This is the two countries' joint efforts to seize the first opportunity in the global fighter research and development competition.

　　Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Ishikawajima-Harima Group will lead research and development in Japan, while Rolls-Royce and British Aerospace Systems will lead research and development in the UK, the report said.

　　The report also said the two countries will also carry out a "joint air-to-air" missile program and intend to sign a memorandum of cooperation to share technology.

Joint research and development work on the engine is scheduled to start in April 2022, following a joint feasibility study.

　　The report pointed out that the cooperation between Japan and the United Kingdom reflects the need for both sides to create a dedicated air superiority platform.

While both countries are using the U.S.-built F-35 fifth-generation fighter, its design is best suited for strike missions, not air superiority.

　　According to the report, this shows that people lack confidence in the air-to-air combat capability of the F-35 fighter.

　　The report pointed out that there is no consensus on the definition of the sixth-generation fighter, but the sixth-generation fighter may use the following technologies, such as modular design, optional manned capability, drone swarms, directed energy weapons, machine learning, Artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality, etc.

　　According to the report, Japan's FX sixth-generation fighter project aims to check and balance its opponents by installing a new type of air superiority fighter.

Japan plans to start production of the FX series in 2031 and enter service in 2035.

Japan's roughly 200 F-15s are increasingly overloaded.

　　According to the report, the UK's "Storm" project plans to replace the "Typhoon" fourth-generation fighter jet by 2035 as an air superiority platform and complement the strike capability of the UK's F-35 fleet.

The project aims to rebuild the UK's air superiority capabilities.

Because of its previous focus on the war on terror, this capability has been underappreciated.

　　The report also said that this need is reflected in the UK's 2021 Defence Strategic Command Document.

The document emphasises the need for the UK to gain air superiority in a conflict with a potential great power such as Russia.

　　The report pointed out that the F-35 fighter is not the best choice for air superiority, coupled with the need to speed up research and development and share research and development costs, these may be the reasons why the United Kingdom chose to cooperate with Japan at the beginning of the "Storm" project.

　　The report noted that in addition to Japan and the United Kingdom's joint sixth-generation fighter project, France and Germany are also conducting similar cooperation, the Future Air Combat System (FCAS) project.

　　Reported that the FCAS project aims to replace the French Rafale fighter jets and German Typhoon fighter jets in the 2040s, and will be one of the largest defense cooperation projects in Europe.

The goal of the FCAS program is to produce a prototype by 2026, complete development by 2030, and enter service by 2040.

　　At the same time, the United States is also implementing the "Next Generation Air Superiority" program.

A prototype is said to have flown last year.

The program aims to maintain America's lead in air superiority.

But little is known about it, because the United States has not released much information about the highly classified program.